Advanced Transport Research

What Advanced Transport Research does

Advanced Transport Research Ltd (A-T-R) is a UK-based, founder-owned transport data collection specialist founded in March 2010 and headquartered in East London. The company designs and executes traffic, pedestrian, cycle, parking, speed, public transport, street inventory, interview, and environmental (noise, air quality, vibration) surveys for local authorities, government bodies, transport planning consultants, property developers, and infrastructure projects across the United Kingdom. A-T-R operates with 24 full-time accredited staff supplemented by 62 temporary field workers, handling over 850 projects annually from a 3,244 sq/ft workshop that serves as equipment storage and short-notice deployment base.

The core technology stack consists of owned proprietary monitoring equipment rather than third-party rentals, including 220+ ATC units, 240 HD video cameras, 180 single-lane plus 14 dual-lane ANPR cameras, 6 saturation flow counters, and 250 bespoke A-T-R camera kits, supported by 11 Chapter 8 compliant Ford Transit vans. A-T-R developed the first remotely accessible temporary ATC tube counters in 2016, delivering 25%-35% per-installation cost savings, and maintains a proprietary GPS-based application for street inventory capture. Data analysis relies on established tools (MetroCount, 3M Autoplate, VDA Pro) with deliverables produced in MS Excel and MapInfo GIS; a drone-based 4K Ultra HD survey capability is currently in trial.

The business model is project-based professional services: A-T-R engages clients pre-commission to advise on survey design, then issues bespoke quotations with cost breakdowns, deliverables, turnaround times, and RAMS documentation. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. Sales are handled directly by key account managers (Dawn Webb, Molly Whitelock, Andrew Brewster) supported by a website with project case studies and client testimonials. Notable long-tenure customers include Highways England (10+ years), CAPITA (10 years), Addenbrooke's Trust (8 consecutive tender wins), London Borough of Southwark, Thurrock Council, TRL, Gwynedd County Council, and all three HS2 consortiums, with engineering consultants WSP, AECOM, and Ringway Jacobs as repeat intermediary clients.

Name

Advanced Transport Research

Legal name

Advanced Transport Research Ltd

Website

https://a-t-r.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Advanced Transport Research is a UK-based, founder-owned firm that designs and executes traffic, pedestrian, cycle, parking, speed, and environmental surveys for local authorities, government bodies, transport consultants, and property developers using owned proprietary monitoring equipment.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Transport Data Collection Services

NAICS

Other Support Activities for Transportation (4889), Support Activities for Road Transportation (4884)

SIC

Transportation Services (4700), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Road Safety Audits, Engineering & Data Analytics Services (RSA, Blackspot Analysis, Vision Zero Programs) (TLAJAGAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Road Safety Maintenance & Asset Management Services (Inspection, Repair/Replacement, Retroreflectivity Testing) (TLAJAGAN)

Keywords

• Traffic survey services
• Transport data collection
• Noise pollution monitoring
• Parking survey services
• Cycle pedestrian counts

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Traffic Survey Services: Primary revenue stream from conducting traffic surveys including vehicle flow, origin/destination, parking, speed, cycle & pedestrian, and public transport surveys using various monitoring equipment and methodologies.
2. Environmental Surveys: Noise and air pollution surveys conducted in accordance with DEFRA and Environment Agency guidance, assess environmental impact or monitoring during works. Can be combined with traffic data for comprehensive area-wide reports.
3. Interview Surveys: Bespoke questionnaire services for public transport operators, developers and retail organisations to understand respondent priorities and measure service improvements, user activity and feedback.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Advanced Transport Research carries out traffic, noise and pollution surveys for individuals and organisations across the UK using precision monitoring equipment installed and tested by CSCS, NRSWA and LANTRA 12D accredited technicians. The company designs and delivers nine distinct survey types — vehicle flow, origin/destination, parking, vehicle speed, public transport, interview, street inventories, cycle and pedestrian counts, and noise/air pollution — using in-house proprietary equipment.

Product overview

Advanced Transport Research offers a comprehensive suite of specialized transport data collection services operated from a 3,244 sq/ft workshop in East London. The core offering consists of nine distinct survey types: Vehicle Flow Surveys (using ANPR, ATC tubes, radar, and HD cameras), Origin/Destination Surveys (via roadside interviews, WiFi, and postcards), Parking Surveys, Vehicle Speed Surveys, Public Transport Surveys, Interview Surveys, Street Inventories (using proprietary GPS applications), Cycle & Pedestrian Surveys, and Noise & Air Pollution Surveys. The company owns and maintains all surveying equipment including 220+ ATC units, 240 HD cameras, 194 ANPR cameras, and bespoke camera kits. Data is presented in formats including MS Excel and GIS platforms such as MapInfo. The company operates a fleet of 11 Chapter 8 compliant Ford Transit vans and 2 motorcycles with installed ANPR systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vehicle Flow Surveys

Quantifiable outcome

• 25%-35% cost savings per installation with remotely accessible ATC tube counters
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• TRLcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA-T-R was commissioned by TRL to undertake cycle speed studies around London bus stops for TfL's cycle safety scheme. TRL has commissioned A-T-R for 11 further cycle surveys, indicating a strong ongoing relationship for transport research projects.
• HS2 (High Speed 2)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA-T-R was commissioned for traffic and pedestrian surveys along the HS2 rail link route in Leicestershire. The company is the only traffic data collection company commissioned by all three consortiums working on behalf of HS2. A-T-R has been commissioned on six further surveys for HS2 route development.
• CAPITAcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCAPITA has been using A-T-R for 10 years on large high-profile projects including HS2. A-T-R works with CAPITA during pre-survey planning to recommend suitable installation locations and equipment choices. TRL commissioned A-T-R through CAPITA for the HS2 Leicestershire survey.
• Addenbrooke's TrustcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAddenbrooke's Trust chose A-T-R to survey traffic reduction measures around Addenbrookes Hospital and Cambridge Biomedical Campus. A-T-R has been selected via tender to design and carry out surveys for the Trust for 8 consecutive years.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• SRL Traffic Systems: UK provider of temporary traffic management, signals, and traffic counters. Overlaps in portable ATC and worksite traffic data services for highways and construction sectors.
• Clearview Intelligence: UK traffic and road safety technology provider offering both data collection services and intelligent transport system products. Broader portfolio but overlapping traffic monitoring/analytics capability.

Emerging players

• Agilysis: UK road safety data analytics company combining traffic surveys with collision analysis and software. Comparable end-client base with a more analytics/SaaS orientation.

Direct peers

• Sky High Traffic Surveys: UK-based traffic and pedestrian data collection specialist using ANPR, ATC, and video methods. Closely comparable in service mix, customer base (UK councils and consultants), and delivery model.
• Count On Us: UK traffic data collection firm. Listed as a former employer of A-T-R co-founder Andrew Brewster, making it a near-identical peer in service offering and heritage.
• Buchanan Computing: UK firm providing traffic survey data collection alongside related transport planning software (TRIPS). Comparable in serving UK local authority and consultant clients.
• Traffic Surveys UK: UK traffic and transport data collection firm offering ATC, ANPR, video, and interview surveys. Explicitly cited as an industry partner of A-T-R and operates in the same project-based services model.
• Road Data Services: UK traffic survey contractor delivering manual counts, ATC, and video-based studies for local authorities and developers. Direct peer in scope and customer segment.
• Tracsis: Listed UK rail and road technology group providing traffic data collection, event monitoring, and transport planning software. Direct competitor in traffic survey services with a broader software/data productization angle.

Others

• MetroCount: Australian manufacturer of traffic counters and survey software used by A-T-R (via MetroCount integration). Adjacent ecosystem participant supplying the equipment ecosystem in which A-T-R operates.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ATRSurveys
• Facebookfacebook.com/100063480195225
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/advanced-transport-research

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Advanced Transport Research